Kavanagh’s bringing the pub experience to MJ

Open for a little over a month, husband and wife team Tom and Ann Kavanagh, wanted to bring the Irish Pub feel to Mt. Juliet.

They had looked in East Nashville and Bellevue at locations, but they kept coming back to Mt. Juliet. Ann said that Mt. Juliet, from City Manager Kenny Martin, to Mark Hinesley at the Chamber of Commerce, to many other officials, were fantastic and helpful. After finding the spot and going through 120 days of remodeling, Kavanagh’s was born.

“In Ireland, a pub is a place to meet and talk,” said Tom, who is from Ireland.

He said he wanted to create that kind of atmosphere here. He said sometimes you can go to places, like sports bars, and you can’t hear anyone talking because everything is so loud. They wanted to create a place that, while you could watch a game or listen to live music, can be a quiet place to talk with your friends and family.

When preparing the menu, the Kavanagh’s wanted to get in the Irish staples like Shepherd’s Pie, Bangers & Mash, Fish & Chips and other items. But they also wanted to do some fuse some ideas with other types of food, one of them being their chef’s creation, a Guinness Glazed Hog Wing. It’s a pork shank cooked with a Guiness glaze, served over Kavanagh slaw.

Ann said that they just have a tiny freezer because they want the food to be as fresh as possible. All the potatoes are peeled and cut fresh daily, and they try to buy as much food from local farms. They said they are going to utilize the Mt. Juliet Farmer’s Market more and more as time goes on.

There is also a lunch menu with several options for just $7.

On tap, you can get Guinness, Harp, Magners, Smithwicks, or domestic beers like Miller Lite, Bud Light, Yuengling or Blue Moon. There are even more options in bottle. Kavanagh’s will also do Irish Whiskey tastings.

There are plenty of special nights to show up at Kavanagh’s. On Monday, you can play trivia with friends, or you can challenge them to darts. On Friday and Saturday from 7 to 11 p.m., there will be live music.

If you have a party or special meeting, Kavanagh’s has a place for you. There are several different options, even a room where you can plug in a computer to do a power point, or if you have a party, you can even plug in a gaming system.

Starting Thursday, June 20, Kavanagh’s will be having their grand opening starting at 11:30 a.m. It will be a 4-day weekend celebration with giveaways every night, little giveaways, samples and a visit from Blackstone Brewery.

Kavanagh’s Irish Pub & Restaurant is open Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. They are located at 1209 N. Mt. Juliet Road. You can reach them at (615)758-7788. You can also check them out on Facebook.